Method and apparatus for installing inserts in plastic bodies



Sept. 16 1924.

H, C. FOSTER METHOD AND "APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING INSERTS IN PLASTIC BODIES Original Filed July 2, 1919 Patented Sept. 16, 1924.

caress STATES HARRY C. FOSTER, OF DAYTON, OHIO.

METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR INSTALLING INSERTS IN PLASTIC BO'DIES.

Application filed July 2, 1919, Serial No. 308,116. Renewed August 7, 1924.

To all who?- it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY C. FOSTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Dayton, in the county of Montgomery and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methods and Apparatus'for Installing Inserts in Plastic Bodies, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to concrete structures and more particularly to an apparatus for installing expansion joints or inlays in concrete bodies and especially aninlaid felt strip in concrete roadways designed to compensate for the expansion and contraction of the successive sections of concrete.

The object of the invention is to simplify the apparatus, as well as the means and mode of operation of installing felt strips or other inlays in bodies of plastic or semiiiuid materials, whether the same be concrete or other like material, whereby such inserts may be easily and quickly adjusted in desired position and securely held during their investment in the plastic or semi-fluid materials and whereby the efficiency of such inserts is materially increased, as well as the rapidity with which such inserts or joints may be made.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for securely bracing or holding the insert against lateral displacement and also to prevent it being floated upward or elevated by thesemi-fluid mixture poured about the insert. I

A further object of the invention is to provide supporting mean for the insert which may be easily and quickly detached and removed without disturbing the position of the insert in the plastic or semi-fluid body.

\Vith the above primary and other incidental ob'ects in view as will more fully appear in t e specification, the invention con sists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the installing apparatus forming the subject matter hereof positioned across the roadway or concrete form with a portion of an insert en aged therewith. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the supporting member and insert shown in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view of portions of two adjacent concrete bodies with the inserted member therebet-ween. Figs. 4 and 5 are detail views of modifications of the insert engaging means. Fig. 6 is a bottom plan view of a modified arrangementof the supporting fingers and attachment skewers.

Like parts are indicated by similar chardescribed for illustrative purposes as applied It is the custom and practice in concrete roadconstruction to separate the road bed into independent succesive sections or blocks of approximately fifty feet in length, but which may be more or less, such sections being separated one from another by an intervening strip of some yielding material which will compensate for the relative expansion and contraction of the blocks or sections at varying temperature. The usual insert is av strip of felt impregnated with asphaltum but other comparative] soft or yielding bodies may be employe Much difiiculty has been experienced in effecting the insertion of these compensating bodies or strips, the usual method, being to provide a supporting board parallel with the strip, against which the strip is held temporarily by stakes driven into the ground. During the pouring of the concrete the mixture frequently flows between the "insertstrip and the supporting board, thus forcing the strip out of alignment and making a crooked joint. After the concrete has been poured and before it has set, the supporting board is withdrawn, the intent being to leave the felt strip'embedded in the plastic or semifluid body. However, in practice, the withdrawal of the board frequently disturbs the inserted strip causing it to be tilted or inclined to the vertical whereby the abutting faces of the successive sections will be bevelled or tapered instead of vertical. Under such conditions the subsequent expansion of the adjacent sections under influence of sumflexible insert strip out of its adjusted posi- I upon the form boards 2 is a transverse supbar '3 the lower face of which is tion, allowing the successive sections to be joined integrally one with the other beneath the lower edge of the insert and causing the insert to be proj above the top plane of the roadway. The present invention is designed to overcome these dificulties by holding the inserted strip stationary in its ad usted position and enabling the disengagement of the supporting means without disturbance of the ,strip or the adjacent bodies of lastic or semi-fluid material.

In the rawing 1 represents the bottom of the road bed or the earth surface and 2-2 the form hoards located at opposite longitudinal margins of the roadway. Resting portin somew at arched to agree with the crown of the roadway, while the opposite ends of thesupportmg bar 3 are provided with proectmg ears 4: perforated to receive attachment stakes 5. The stakes 5 are driven through the ears 4 into the earth at opposite sides of the roadway or form and serve to holdthe supporting bar 3 iovable in its transverse relation with the form. Projecting from the under face of the supporting bar 3 is a plurality of dependent fingers or p ns 6 arranged in pairs. The 'gers or pins of each pair are separated one from the other a .distance substantiall equal to the thickness of the inserted strip or expansion joint. These pairs of supporting fingers 6 are arrange at spaced intervals in ahed relation, the succeeding pairs being separated distances in accordance with the flexibility of-the insert strip to be operated upon. The fingers 6, may if desired be slightly tapered as shown in Fig. 4, to facilitate su sequent withdrawal from the body of plastic or semi-fluid material. The insert strip 7, whether the same be felt impregnated with asphaltum or any other separating or parting materialfis positioned between the fingers or pins 6 extending in parallel relation with the supporting bar 3 from one form board 2 to the other and is held by the fingers .or pins 6 in aligned and vertical position. The strip 7 is secured in this position to its support by transverse pins or skewers 8 which are projected through eyes ll, in the fingers or pins 6 and through the insert strip 7 intermediate said pins, "as

shown at the right in Fig. l and also in Figs.

neonate 2, f and 5. This skewer may be a simple pin, as shown in Figs. 4L and 5, or it may be shaped as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, whereby it w retain its permanent relation with the support. In these figures the skewer 8 is bent to substantially ll shape one leg of which is sharpened and extended through the eyes 9 of the fingers 6, while the other leg extends through a transverse opening in the supporting bar 3. This transverse opening is preferably reinforced by a short section of pipe or tubing 10 and is counterbored or enlarged at 11 to accocdate a head 12 carried by the end of the skewer leg extending through such. opening. The U shaped skewer is thus capable of a reclprocatory movement to and fro through the eyes 9 and the bushing 11, the. withdrawal of the skewer being limited bv the engagement of the head 12 with the end of the countcrbore ll. Tn its withdrawn position the pointed leg of the skewer clears the 1ntermediate space between the supporting fingers 6 to permit the insertion of the strip 7. Upon the return of the skewer the pointed extremity penetrates the strip interposed between the fingers 6 and holds it in fixed relation with the support. There may be any number of these attachment devices provided although only three have been shown in Fig. 1. Not only is the strip 7 held against vertical displacement by the skewers 8 but by the same means is held tensioned to prevent lateral bulging under the influence of the pressure of the plastic material being poured upon one side or the other of the insert.

The insert strip being supported, as shown in Fig. l, in vertical position and extending across the form, the concrete or other plastic or semi-fluid material is poured upon both sides of theinsert. While the distribution of material is substantially equal on both sides, the support of the strip is such that a preponderance of material or pressure upon one side or the other will not materially aflect the disposition of the insert strip. The concrete material is struck off in the usual manner to form the uniform top surface of the concrete section. Before the material has become hardened or set, the skewers 8 which are partially embedded in the plastic material and partially extended above the level thereof, are withdrawn .to disengage them from the insert strip 7. The plastic or semi-fluid condition of the material readily permits this withdrawal of the skewers 8. The stakes 5 are then removed and the supporting bar 3 lifted vertically, withdrawing the supporting fingers 6 from the opposite sides of the strip 7 leaving the strip embedded in the materlal. The pressure of the semi-fluid or plastic material upon the strip 7 intermediate the pins 6 is sufficient to hold the strip against displacement while the pins are bein withdrawn and the concrete material is su ciently plastic or semi-fluid to readily close the small openings from which the fingers 6 are withdrawn. If so desired the stakes may be left in position to serve as guides to insure the withdrawal of the supporting bar 3 and the fingers 6 in a perfectly aligned relation with, the inserted strip 7 By this means the concrete material flows directly into contact with the strip during the pouring operation thus obviating any possibility of air pockets being formed and the strip is held in alignment and against any shifting movement under the influence or pressure of the concrete material until the form is completely filled and struck off, after which the support is readily detached.

In lieu of the U shaped skewers 8, a simple pin 13 may be employed. This pin is inserted through the eyes 9" and inter strips 7 in the manner before described. The pin 13 is formed with an eye or head 14 to which is attached a chain or cable 15, the opposite end of which is secured to the support 3 above the finished level of the concrete. After the pouring of the concrete has been completed the skewer pin 13 may be disengaged from the strip 7 and fingers 6, by pulling upon the chain or cable 15 to withdraw the skewer 13. This operation is readily permitted by the unset or semi-plastic condition of the concrete at this stage of operation.

In Fig. 5 there is shown a further modification in which a skewer pin 16, similar to the pin 13, is inserted through eyes in the fingers 6 in an inclined or diagonal relation, whereby the upper end of the skewer pin projects above the finished level of the concrete. This retaining device may be withdrawn by grasping the protruding end thereof and withdrawing it from its engagement with the finger 6 and interposed strip 7. In

this Fig. 5, one of the supporting fingers 6 is shown of greater length than theother. Forming one finger shorter than the other enables the adaption of the device to certain types of inserts having lateral projections or interlocking anchorage flanges as shown in Fig. 5.

In Fig. 6 there isshown a modified arrangement of the fingers 6 and skewers 8 which in practice under the present condi tions has been found to be thepreferred form. In this form the fingers 6 forming each pair are offset longitudinally in relation with the bar 3, thus arranging the fingers in alternatin or staggered relation. This enables the astic material to bear directly opposite each finger and there is less tendency for the strip to be displaced in withdrawing the device. The construction affords greater engagement with the plastic body and less frictional engagement with through the strip have a cam like action-by which the strip is slightly tensioned or stretched. This is particularly true when different skewers 8 are inserted through the strip at opposite sides of different fingers 6 as shown in Fig. 6. From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus produced a device of the character described, possessing the particular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but

which obviously is suceptible of modification in its form, proportion, detail construction or arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute I the inventionhas been herein described in language more or less specific'as to certain structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, but that the means and construction herein disclosed comprises but one of several modes of putting the invention into effect and the invention is therefore claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a supporting beam to be arranged transversely in elevated relation above the finished surface of a roadway, a plurality of pins projecting downward from the underside of said beam in fixed relation with each other and arranged in two parallel series between which an insert strip may be positioned, means for supportin the beam in elevated relation above the roadway.

2. In a device of the character described, a transverse supporting member to be arranged in elevated position above the roads way, a plurality of rigid, relatively fixed 'pms projecting downward from the under face of the supportin member and arranged in staggered re ation for engaging at spaced intervals the opposite sides of an interposed insert strip, the strip being exposed to the deposit of road making material, intermediate such pins, throughout substantially its full hei ht.

3. In a device of the c aracter described, the combination with an insert strip to be nished surface of the strip with minimum disturbance of the material. v

- l. The combination with an insert strip to be embedded in a body of plastic material of a supporting bar, a plurality of fingers carried thereby and arranged in pairs between which fingers comprising the pairs of v fingers the strip is supported, andtransverse skewers extending .through the strip and detachably engaged with the fingers. I 5. In a device of'the character described, a supporting bar to be arranged transversely inrelation with a roadway, insert strip supporting means, carried by thesupporting bar and extending on opposite sidesof the insert strip'lor su porting the strip during the deposit ot p astie material thereabout, said su porting means"beingwithdrawable from tlie'depos'it olf plastic material independent of the: strip and means for guiding 'the supportingv means during such withdrawal movement through a predetermined path of movement in relation with the strip whereby the position of the strip in the deposit of plastic material will be undist bed.

I supporting fingers between which the stri is 6. -Means for install' an insert strip in a body of plastic materia comprising a supporting bar positioned transversely across the mold or form above the level of the body of plastic material, having parallel to be inserted, said fingers being provi ed with transverse eyes, and an attacent member extending through the said eyes and intervening strip.

7, .M a forinstalg an insert strip in a. body of. plastic material comprising a e arranged in transverse rename supporting bar, parallel fingers carried by the bar and straddlingthe insert strip, said fingers having transverse openings therein,

and a substantially U-shaped skewer, one

leg of which is slidingly mounted in the supporting bar, the other leg of which extends through the transverse openings in said fingers'and through the strip when inserted therebetween.

8. Meanstor installin an insert strip in a body of plastic materia comprising a supporting bar, parallel fingers carried by the bar and straddling the strip, said fingers having transverse openings therein, and a removable pin extending through the said openings and the strip when inserted between said fingers.

9. Means for installing an insert strip in a body of plastic material comprising a supporting member adapted to hold the strip in adjusted position while the plastic material is placed thereabout said su porting member having an opening therein, and a stalre driven'thru said opening in said sup ort by which the support is directed in a p ane of movement having fixed relation with the plane of the inserted strip upon the withdrawal of the su porting member from the body of materiaii. I

10. Means for instg an insert strip in a body of plastic material comprising a supporting member adapted to hold the strip in adjusted position while the plastic material is deposited thereabout, the supporting member being adapted to rest upon the edges of a mold for said bod of plastic material, beyond the sides 0 which the supporting member extends, mid sup orting member having perforations therein eyond the sidesrot the mold, and stakes extending through said perforations and holding the supporting member against lateral displacement. p

In testimony whereof, l have hereunto set my hand this lfith daypf June, A. D, rare.

rm-nnr o, rosrnn.

Witnesses r F. Norma, A. L. Wnrnm.

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